Family Ties
by Kanafire
Summary: Sam and Dean are sent to find Brianna Moore, Bobby Singer's daughter, to bring her to safety after Bobby learns she is in danger. Little does he know his daughter is also the vessel to the powerful angel Nike, also know as the Greek Goddess of victory. Can Sam and Dean keep her under the angel radar and still stop the end of the world?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **This story idea came to me in a dream last night after watching several episodes before bed. Not sure where I am going to take this or even who the love interest will be. Drop me a review and let me know what you think! Just remember, reviews are what make the writing world tick.

_Iowa 2009_

Rain pelted the windshield of the Impala faster than the wiper blades could keep up. Wind howled and thunder boomed. Dean pulled the car off the road for safety reasons. Not able to see more than three feet in front of the hood didn't make for easy navigating. He glanced over at Sam. He was slouched in the seat, his head leaned back and his mouth open. He always did sleep better during a thunderstorm. Pea sized hail started to fall and Dean slammed his hand against the steering wheel.

"Come on!" He hated hail. It was out to damage his baby and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He caressed the dashboard lovingly and lowered his voice. "Don't worry baby."

Sam wasn't as asleep as his brother thought he was and shook his head. The love Dean had for his car was borderline insane. He loved that thing more than woman, and Dean really loved his women. He took in a deep breath and tried harder to fall back into oblivion. It wasn't often he got to hear the rain and the thunder in this clarity. Despite the maelstrom it was causing outside the vehicle, it soothed the turmoil bubbling in his mind.

The storm blew over as quickly as it arrived and Dean eased the car back on the road. They were almost to their destination. Three more hours on the road and he could fall onto the overused springs of the local hotel bed. He was still wary of this current mission. Hunting demons and other supernatural mumbo jumbo he was okay with, but tracking a normal human girl was weird. She didn't even have anything to do with the whole Apocalypse. Not yet anyway. Dean and Sam were here to see if Bobby was right.

The demon who possessed Bobby left him a parting gift- besides being left in a wheelchair. The demon told him he had a daughter and she was being watched. Dean thought it was a load of crap, but the look in Bobby's eyes said there was truth to his words. Like his father, Bobby shacked up with a woman about twenty years ago during a hunt. He saved the girl and in return, the girl gave him a happy ending. Problem was, it resulted in a child. Bobby didn't want the girl involved in the family business, so he let her grow up ignorant. The time for ignorance was over. The demons knew about her and her locations. They would hurt her to mess with Bobby and in turn him and Sam.

Needing only four hours of sleep, Dean was up and ready to go by nine in the morning. Sam was already awake and was ahead of the game. He handed Dean a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. He devours the sausage and egg sandwich and finished the coffee in the car. Sam navigated him through the small town of Vinton and had him pull over in front of a small, run down blue house.

"This is it." Sam glanced at the house and back at him brother. "Looks like its seen better days."

"You could say that again." Dean stepped out of the car and straightened the collar of his trusty leather jacket. "You'd think Bobby's kid would live in a better looking place than this."

"This coming from somebody who lives in hotels." Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, but this place is a dump. I mean look at the foundation, its leaning to the left and cracked all over the place. I'm amazed it's still livable." He was right too. The windows weren't set proper and the roofing was in dire need of new shingles. The only good thing he could see was the neatly cut lawn and a row of rose bushes growing on either side of the front steps.

Dean took the lead and walked up the creaky front steps. Inwardly, he worried that Sam would fall through them since he was much larger. He rapped on the door with his knuckles and waited. He heard footsteps and took a step back so he wasn't crowding the door.

The heavy wooden door opened and a girl younger than Sam appeared. She looked at both of them through the screen. "Can I help you?" She asked.

Dean looked at her closely. He couldn't see any direct similarities to Bobby except maybe the eyes. She nibbled nervously on her bottom lip and shuffled her weight around. He narrowed his eyes, wondering what had this girl so scared. He took too long to speak and Sam stepped up to bat.

"Brianna Moore?" He questioned. The girl nodded her head once. "My name is Sam and this is my brother Dean. We work with your father. Can we come in?"

Her eyes widened a fraction, another sign of nervousness. She looked quickly over her shoulder and back at them. "I'm sorry. Now's not the best time-"

She was interrupted by another woman. "Brianna, what is taking so damned long. Tell them we're not interested and close the door." Her voice was sharp and reprimanding.

Brianna flinched and wet her lips. "I'm sorry." She started to close the door, but Dean made his move.

"We'll come back later." The girl nodded once and shut the door softly. Dean ran his fingers through his hair and turned and followed Sam back to the Impala. He started it up and let out a hiss. "Something's not right."

Sam agreed. "Bobby said Brianna's mother, Lauren was a sweetheart, a real softy. That didn't sound soft to me." He looked over at Dean. "I'm thinking Bobby was right to send us out here."

"You're not the only one." He shifted the car into drive and headed back to the hotel. He called Bobby once they were inside. He plopped on the bed and rest his left arm across his legs. "Hey, Bobby. I thought you said Lauren was a nice, girl-next-door type."

"I did." Bobby said. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Well, I met Brianna and she's scared shitless of something. We didn't see Lauren, but we heard her. She's a real bitch."

"Then that's not her."

"That's what I thought, but Bobby, that means she's probably already possessed." Sam gave him a sharp look. Dean waved him off. "What do you want us to do?"

"Do your best to save Lauren, but your top priority is getting Bree out of there. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir." Dean ended the call. "We go in tonight and see if we can exorcise a demon."

"I thought you'd say that." Sam held his hand out. "Give me the keys. I'll hit the grocery store for more salt."

Dean tossed them over. "I'll be across the street at that little ice cream parlor. There is a group of girls in bikini tops that need my attention and I could use a double fudge sundae. He flashed Sam his winning smile and brushed past him. He could feel Sammy rolling his eyes. "You want anything?"

"No, I'm good. I'll leave the ice cream, chocolate syrup and girls to you."

"More for me."

Brianna sat on her bed in the attic. What did she do? Did she try to sneak out of the house to talk to those men? Things around town have been becoming progressively worse over the past week. Her mother was the worst. She was typically generous and sweet, but now, she was a ranting lunatic that wasn't afraid to strike her own daughter for voicing her opinion. Three nights ago, while Brianna was fixing dinner, her mother struck her for adding salt to the boiling water. All the salt canisters and shakers were thrown away and the rosary given to her by her father was burned in the kitchen sink.

She thought about calling him and asking for help. If she really needed to she could move out and get her own apartment, but she was afraid to leave her alone. She grabbed the photo of her parents and her last year at Wildcat. It was the last time she saw her father and she missed him terribly.

The door at the bottom of the attic stairs opened and her mother climbed up. Brianna huddled in on herself on instinct, trying to make herself seem smaller than she really was. Lauren stood at the top of the stairs looking at her with dark eyes. The light in the attic was dim, but Brianna could swear her eyes were as black as night and not their usual soft brown.

"Who was at the door?" She demanded. Bree shook her head and her mother sneered. "I asked you a question, wench. Answer it." A breeze filtered through the thin walls of the house, rustling the pages of her calendar.

"They were friends of Dad." Brianna answered quietly.

"Names. What were their names?" The breeze picked up to a small gust.

"Sam and Dean." She replied. "No last name."

The wind died down and her mother gave her a twisted grin. "Perfect." She turned and walked down the stairs, leaving Bree shaking and scared on her bed.

Sam's fingers moved swiftly over the keyboard, his eyes furrowed in concentration. The information he found baffled him. This town was crawling with demonic omens, the storm that hit over night being one of them. At least a dozen citizens reported family members going off the deep end. Lauren Moore was one of them. In fact, she was the first reported. The woman was kicked out of Ron Da Voo, a local bar, for knocking a man unconscious after he asked her a question. The list continued, and it was all Sam needed to place this in the demon category. His big question was why they left Brianna untouched.

"You know Dean, you think maybe this is a trap?"

Dean looked up from his burger. "Of course this is a trap."

"So, what's the plan? Break in and steal the girl?"

He seemed to contemplate it for a second and nodded. "Pretty much, unless you have a better plan."

Sam shook his head. "Nope."

"Great, then let's get this party started." He tossed the remnants of his dinner in the trash and grabbed his bag off the bed.

They parked the car at the gas station was sat directly behind the house to ease suspicion. Armed with shotguns and the demon-killing knife, they made their way across the lawn. Sam had the back door picked in a matter of seconds, and they stepped inside. The outside of the house was bad, but the inside was worse. The ceiling above the kitchen sink was sagging and cracked. The foundation was worse than he realized considering the floor was uneven and there was an obvious lean. The flower vase on the small two-seater table was proof of that. The water leaned to the left.

Dean took notice of the half-eaten dinner and the empty bottle of alcohol next to it. What caught his attention was the lack of a saltshaker. The pepper was sitting in the center of the table with a small napkin holder, but no salt. He pointed it out to Sam, who also took notice. With a knowing glance, Sam moved to the room straight ahead while Dean when to the left.

Everything was dark, but the lights from the gas station behind them gave them just enough light to see without their flashlights. The room Dean stepped into was a small bedroom made into a den. The closet door was missing and a small TV stand stood inside with a television perched on top. It was an ancient thing, one he'd seen in some of the shadier hotels. A large black corner desk took up much of the room, leaving just enough space for the chair to roll around and a pathway through. He clicked on the flashlight and shone it around the corner to the right. There was the bathroom and another door directly on the right.

Footsteps behind him made him turn around, gun at the ready. He lowered it as Sam came into view. He shook his head, letting Dean know he hadn't found anything. Dean pointed to the closed door and up. Sam nodded and held the gun pointed at chest level while Dean turned the handle.

The doorway was empty, but standing before them was a staircase leading up. Dean turned off his flashlight, using the light from Sam's instead. He stuffed it in his jacket and drew the knife from his belt. He made it up three stairs before they started to creak. If anybody were upstairs, they would know the brothers were here.

Dean stopped at the top of the stairs and took in the sight before him. It was obviously a girl's bedroom, but that wasn't what he noticed first. It was Brianna sitting on her bed with a gag in her mouth and her wrists and ankles tied with rope. He reacted without scanning the rest of the attic for danger. He rushed to the bed and pulled the gag out of her mouth.

"Go!" She whimpered. "It's a trap."

"Shh. It's okay." He cut the ropes with the knife and started to help her up, but the door on the left side of the stairwell burst open and three demons rushed Sam. "Sam!" A man, nearly as tall as Sam tackled his brother and they tumbled down the stairs, leaving him with the two black-eyed women.

Brianna whimpered again and scooted closer to Dean. He stood up and positioned himself between the demons and the girl. Bobby would kill him if anything happened to her. He single handedly pumped the shotgun and smirked. "Do you two really want to do this?"

The blond grinned. "Oh yes. We have been looking all over for you, Dean Winchester."

He pulled the trigger and hit the woman with a round of rock salt. She bellowed, but didn't evict her host. Her partner flicked her wrist and Dean flew into the wall, barely missing the window. The knife clattered to the floor beside the bed. He looked at it, desperately wishing he had a way to break the demon's telekinesis.

"How easy you fall." The blond sauntered closer. "All I had to do was plant in Singer's head that I knew where his little girl was and you two fell right into my lap. Nobody is going to save you this time."

Brianna bolted off the bed and grabbed the knife. She tackled her mother to the ground and held the blade against her throat. Dean was amazed with how swiftly she moved and handled the blade. "Leave my mother's body or I'll slit your throat." She hissed.

The second demon stepped forward, her hand reaching out to throw Bree around, but Sam came out of the darkness and snapped the woman's neck. Bree flinched at the sound, but didn't move the knife.

"You wouldn't kill your own mother." The demon said with certainty.

"Are you sure about that?" Bree asked.

"Positive. I can see into your mind, Brianna. You love your mother more than anything in this world. You still live in the shit hole of a house so you can keep an eye on her." The demon began picking through her thoughts. "You stay with her because she is the only family you have. You're father is never around. You're not even sure if he loves you."

"Shut up!" Brianna shouted. "You know nothing about me!"

"Don't I?" The demon continued.

"No." Dean could hear the emotion in the girl's voice. "I would rather lose my mother than have something evil living inside her. She wouldn't want to live as a demons marionette." Sam took a cautious step towards Brianna, but stopped when the girl shook her head. "Stay back. I have to do this."

"There is another way, Brianna." Sam said, holding his hands up. "We can take that thing out without killing your mother." Sam pulled out a piece of chalk. The floor was made of wood, so the demon trap would work.

"And you think I'll just lay here while you put me in a prison. I don't think so." The demon flung Brianna off, slamming her up against the wall beside Dean. Sam reacted fast, pulling out a flask of holy water, and splashing her across the face with it. The holy water was enough of a distraction; she was unable to hold Bree and Dean.

Brianna grabbed the dropped knife and buried it hilt-deep into her mother's ribs. Sam and Dean looked on in shock and Brianna slid to the ground, her mother in her arms. She pulled the knife out and tossed it aside, throwing her arms around her mother and crying. The brothers exchanged a saddened look and waited until Brianna's cries slowed to a quiet sob. Sam, being the empathetic one, knelt beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. That small touch brought back her hysterical cries. She released her mother's body and latched onto the front of Sam, mindless of the blood soaking the front of her clothing.

"I'll wait downstairs." Dean said quietly as he walked past them and over the second dead female. He cast the girl one last sympathetic look before going to the car. He called Bobby. "We have the girl."

"Lauren?"

"Dead." Dean replied.


	2. Chapter 2

_South Dakota_

The drive from the Eastern side of Iowa over to South Dakota was a long one, especially with a girl in the back seat mourning the loss of her mother. Dean wasn't sure what to say to her and any time Sammy or him brought up the demon situation, she start sniffling like she was fixing to start crying. When they neared the South Dakota border, she finally opened up and started talking.

"So, you guys work with my dad?" She asked, looking out the window at the dairy farm they were driving past.

"Yes." Dean answered. "He's the one who sent us to get you."

"I thought my dad was a mechanic."

Dean had heard that one before when they received a phone call from a kid claiming to be his kid brother. "Think of that as his side job." Dean looked at her through the rearview mirror. "I know this is hard to understand and take in, but time isn't exactly on our side."

"Dean." Sam gave him a warning look.

Dean ignored his little brother, "What you say last night was real. Demons exist and so do most things you believe are fairy tales and horror stories. Truth is, you're father is one of the best damned hunters in the country- followed by me and Sammy of course."

Brianna took in a deep breath. "So, you two hunt the supernatural with my dad?" He waited for her to tell him he was crazy, but she surprised him. "For some reason, it makes a lot of sense now. Why Dad never let me visit him at his house. Why he gave me this pendant and told me to always keep it around my neck." She pulled a small charm out from the inside of her shirt. It was identical to the charm Bobby gave the brothers after their incident with Meg a few years back. "It also explains why he taught me self defense and I'm not talking the basics, but how to handle a blade and fire a gun."

Sam covered a laugh. "Sounds like Bobby."

"So tell me, why now of all times? He's always tried to keep me at arm's length. What made him change his mind?"

Dean looked back at her again. "Because he knew you were in danger." He paused. "And because he's in the hospital."

She gasped and Sam gave him a harsh look. "Smooth." Sam chastised.

"What happened to him? Is he alright?"

"He'll live." Dean said. "But, he'll more than likely never walk again."

"How did it happen?" She asked.

Dean about told him it was a demon, but he didn't think she'd appreciate hearing that a demon, the same demon who took her mother almost took her father. "It was in the line of duty."

Brianna let the car slip back into silence. Her mind was racing around at mach speeds and she couldn't tell up from down. The past six hours seemed like a bad dream, one she would wake up from at any moment. She pinched her self every ten minutes, hoping it would work, but the longer she tried, the more she began to realize this was not a dream.

Her mother was dead, killed by her hands. She clenched her fists tightly in her lap and restrained the tears that threatened to fall. She'd done enough crying for a life time. It made Sam and Dean uncomfortable, besides, it made her feel weak, helpless even. Demons were real? Who would have guessed? If demons were real, then she supposed angels were as well. Where there was one, there had to be the other. Or at least that's how her brain processed the information. What about vampires? Where they like the Anne Rice vampires or the Twilight ones? Personally, she was a fan of the Laurell K. Hamilton vampires, but the thought of a blood sucking sex machine was too good to be true. The thought of all the story and movie vampires made her laugh.

It was the first time she'd laughed in days and it felt wonderful. So wonderful in fact, that she couldn't seem to stop. She felt both boys looking at her and met their matching blue eyes. She snorted with the effort to reign in the giggles and covered her mouth with embarrassment.

"You okay back there, chuckles?" Dean asked.

Brianna nodded and couldn't help but ask between bouts of giggles, "Do vampires sparkle?"

"What?" Dean asked incredulously.

Sam laughed and shook his head. "Only when you light them on fire."

"Why would you think vampires sparkle?"

Brianna just shook her head. Sam was the one who answered, much to her amazement. "It's a book series called Twilight for teenage girls where vampires are day walkers that have skin-like diamond. It's really fucked up, even by my standards."

"The fact that you know that scares the hell out of me Sammy." Dean gave his brother a troubled look. "Is there something about you I should know? I mean, I understand everybody has their secrets, but this…this is a bit much."

"No! Dean, common, it's all over the internet. It amazes me you haven't at least heard of the books."

Dean slowed the car. "Okay, that's it, no flamers allowed in my car."

"Hello Dean."

Brianna screamed in fright. Sitting beside her on the bench seat was a man in his early thirties in a brown trench coat and deep blue eyes. He hadn't been there a second ago. "Oh my God!"

The man looked over at her and gave her an emotionless stare. "No, I am not God."

Dean pulled the car over and shifted in his seat so he could look back at the newcomer. "Common Cas, can't you call first. You know I hate it when you pop outta nowhere like that. Besides, we have company." He pointed to Brianna, who was currently scrambling over the seat and into Sam's lap, kicking Dean in the face in the process.

"I was under the impression she was now a part of this war."

"That's not the point." Dean shook his head. "What do you want?"

"I see you found her." Cas turned to look at Brianna, who was clinging to Sam like a monkey. "Brianna is it? It's good to meet you."

Brianna opened her mouth and closed it several times, feeling very much like a goldfish. When she finally found her voice, she asked, "Who-who are you…What are you?"

"My name is Castiel, an angel of the Lord." He introduced. "You have no need to fear me."

"Uh-huh, right." She loosened her grip on Sam's neck, much to his delight. "An angel?" She felt anger bubble to the surface. "Angels are supposed to take care of demons, right?"

"It is one of our job requirements, yes."

It was Sam's turn to hold onto Brianna. "Then why didn't you save my mother? Why did I have to kill her?"

Castiel gave her a curious look, not being used to answering questions of this manner. He glanced at Dean and over at Sam. They both gave him looks that mean he needed to tread carefully. He blinked several times and chose to ignore the question at hand. "I have another purpose for my visit."

"I figured as much." Dean slouched in the seat. "You aren't the message delivery type."

"I need you and Sam to train Brianna."

"What?" The brothers asked in unison.

"She is important to the war. She is a vessel." Castiel explained.

Dean groaned. "A vessel for who?"

Brianna shook her head. "Hold the fucking phone. What are you guys talking about?"

"She is the vessel for Nike."

"Nike? The tennis shoe company?" Dean asked.

Sam's eyes went wide. "I thought Nike was a Greek Goddess."

"She was depicted as such a long time ago, but she is an angel." He turned his dark blue eyes on Brianna. "In her current condition, Nike will burn her body into ash. She is not strong enough."

"She has to say yes though. Nike can't take her body unless she has permission." Dean pointed out. "So, making her stronger is null and void." He turned to look at Brianna, who's eyes were wide and fearful. He also detected a large amount of anger simmering just beneath the surface. "Unless of course you want to be an angel's meat suit."

"Meat suit?" Brianna questioned in a small voice.

"Simply put it you'd be possessed by an angel." Sam pointed his thumb at Castiel. "He is riding around in a guy named Jimmy."

"Kind of like how my mother was being possessed by that demon?"

Dean shook his head. "No, not quiet. An angel needs permission to ride shotgun. Demons don't. Also, from what I've seen, Angels take care of their bodies. Unless you count being ripped to pieces by an archangel." He gave Castiel a pointed look of amusement.

"Back up. Who exactly is the Nike person?" Brianna asked.

Sam was the one to answer, "According to lore, she is the Greek Goddess of Victory. She cannot lose a battle. She is also closely tied to Athena, the Goddess Wisdom."

"Thanks for the history lesson, can I drive now?" Dean asked, looking at Brianna. "Or are you going to kick me in the head again? Cas, you staying-? I hate it when he does that." Castiel disappeared again, leaving the back seat empty.

Brianna crawled back over the seat, kicking Dean for good measure and put on her seat belt. "This is too fucked up for my mind to keep up. I'm going to sleep." She pressed her head against the cool glass and drifted into a fitful dream complete with sparkling vampires that looked like Dean and angels with neon pink wings.

"Run that by me again?" Bobby asked, glaring up at Sam from his wheelchair. He hated the contraption, but he hated the idea of his daughter's involvement in the war more. Sam explained once again that Brianna supposedly the vessel for Mike. "Hogwash." He spat. "Ever think that angel is just stringing you alone?"

"Every day." Dean replied. "What I want to know is how he found us." He placed the palm on his hand against his chest. "I thought were were flying under the angel radar."

"We are, but Brianna isn't." Sam replied.

"This is your call, Bobby." Dean sighed. He saw the inner struggle in Bobby's eyes. This was a tough call, but one only Bobby could make. Brianna wasn't a hunter, but Dean knew she had it in her. AS much as he hated to admit it, the girl had talent. Anybody who could look a demon in the eye and kill it was okay in his book.

"Dammit." Bobby cursed, spinning his wheelchair so he was facing away from the boys. Brianna couldn't' stay with him, a cripple. He wouldn't be able to protect her sufficiently enough.

"Bobby I know this is hard, but we have to do something. If the demons know she's a vessel, she'll be a target." Sam said hesitantly.

Bobby gripped the arms of his chair. "Do you think I'm stupid, boy?"

"No, Sir." Sam gulped.

"Will one of you bring her to me?" he asked, his voice dipping low enough it was hard to hear.

Sam nodded his head and ducked out of the room. He walked out to the parking lot where Brianna was fast asleep in the backseat of the Impala. Sliding into the passenger's side, Sam reached back and placed his hand on her shoulder. She gave a slight tremble and a sob escaped her lips. He felt his heart tighten. He knew what it was like to lose a parent, but having to deal with being the reason they were dead was harder. He felt the same after Dean was sent to Hell.

"Brianna." He called gently. She chocked back another sob and her eyes fluttered open. "Hey, we're here and you're dad wants to see you." Bree sat up and wiped the dampness from her cheeks. She sniffled and nodded her head. Sam opened her door and offered her a hand out of the car.

She brushed her fingers through her long blonde hair in an attempt to rid herself of bed head and tried her best to give Sam a smile. It came out half-hearted. "He's mad at me isn't he?"

Sam shook his head. "No of course not." He motioned for her to follow and she did. "To be honest, we didn't tell him you did it."

Brianna stopped in her tracks. "He doesn't know?"

He met her surprised blue eyes. "He's been through a lot. He's still wrapping his mind around you being a vessel."

"So am I. Hell, if I hadn't seen Castiel pop out of nowhere, I'd think it was all a hoax." She admitted.

"Don't worry about Cas, he's a good guy. He's saved our lives more times than I can count. I know it's a lot to take in at once, but you're a strong girl. If bobby gives you shit, fling it back. It's sometimes the only way to make him listen." Sam explained.

Bree took his hand and laced their fingers together. "Okay." She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I can do this. Lead the way." Sam took notice of the change in her demeanor. Her shoulders were squared back and her head held high. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and walked her into the hospital.

Sam expected Brianna to release his hand and rush Bobby in a flurry of emotion. Boy was he wrong. He did release his hand, but there was no rushing- she walked. Both brothers winced in sympathy as her hand struck Bobby across the face. His head turned with the force of the blow, but didn't seem surprised by his daughter's anger. The boys exchanged curious looks before turning their attention back to the family reunion.

"You knew about all of this stuff and you never told me?" She half shouted. "All of this could have ended differently if you told me the truth." Bobby remained silent, infuriating Brianna more. "Because of you I was forced to kill my own mother!"

Bobby's head shot up and looked over at Dean who had enough dignity to look away with shame. "You never told me that."

"It didn't seem important at the time, Bobby. What did you want me to say? That I watched your daughter gank her mother with a knife?" Dean asked.

"Actually, yes. I would. The truth would be nice." Bobby snapped.

"Shut up." Brianna ordered, silencing the men. When she had their attention, she continued. "Now that the cat is out of the bag, does anybody want to tell me what happens now?"

Dean muttered under him breath, "I can see the family resemblance."

Sam hid a snicker and nodded.

"You are going back to my place and staying put." Bobby answered.

Brianna put her hands on her hips and gave him a raised brow, "oh really? You think stashing me at your house is going to make everything better? Dad, I've met three demons and an angel in less than twelve hours. I think the time for sweeping me under the rug is over." She turned her attention to Sam and Dean. "I think Castiel is right. Train me. I want to learn how to kill demons."

"Oh no, sweetheart." Dean shook his head and held his hands up. "It's not that easy."

"Really? I remember it being pretty fucking easy last night." She snapped back.

"That's only because you were using the knife. Normal weapons can't hurt a demon, just the person they are riding around in. If you want to hurt them holy water and salt work. But to remove them from the body you need a demon trap and an exorcism." Sam explained. "The life of a hunter isn't easy."

Brianna's temper settled a little bit. "Fine. What do I do?"

"You listen to Bobby. He's the best hunter in the country." Sam smiled and Dean gave him an indignant huff, offended that he wasn't number one.

"Bree, do you really want to go through with this?" Bobby asked.

She looked down at her father and nodded. "I have to. I can't just sit on the sidelines while demons are out there ripping families apart."

"Fine. But you listen to every word those boys tell you." Bobby's cell phone rang, cutting the conversation short. It was a hunter friend, Rufus. No matter how hard he struggled to listen to his friend, the static was almost too much. Before Rufus disconnected, he managed to pick out the location. He placed the cell phone of the mobile stand and looked at the boys. "I need you two to go to River Pass. That was Rufus."

They nodded and headed towards the door without another word. Brianna looked between her father and the Winchesters. With a shrug, she followed he boys.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bobby asked. The boys stopped and turned around.

"With them."

"Like hell you are. You are not ready for something this big."Bobby argued.

Her hands fell to her hips again. "And just when will I be ready?" Bobby started to argue with her, but Brianna was past listening. She pushed the boys out of her way and headed towards the Impala.

"You keep her safe." Bobby ordered. "So help me god if you get her killed." The boys nodded and followed in Brianna's footsteps.


	3. Chapter 3

_River Pass, Colorado_

The Impala slowed to a stop. The bridge ahead was crumbled and broken, a large chunk of the cement lying at the small river below. Sam and Dean stepped out of the car and looked over the edge of the broken bridge. There was no way they could drive across the bridge and it was the only road leading in or out of River Pass.

Dean kicked a rock over the edge, "This is the only road in or out."

Sam pulled out his cell phone and held it up. "No signal."

"Rufus was right. Demons have this place locked down."

Sam glanced back at the car where Brianna was sitting in the back seat. "Looks like we're hiking in."

Dean nodded and walked around to the back of the car. He popped open the trunk and lifted the false lining. "And the hits just keep coming."

After grabbing several flasks of holy water, his hand gun and his choice shotgun, he stuffed his pockets with spare ammo and moved so Sam could arm himself. He opened the back door and bent over so he could see Brianna. "We are hiking in. You have a choice. Stay here and wait for us, or come into the hot zone."

He saw fear in her eyes, but also determination. She took in a slow, steady breath and let it out, probably weighing her choices carefully. "I'm coming with."

"That's my girl." Dean smiled.

"What? You can't be serious, Dean. If this place is under lockdown, do you really think we should take her? She's not ready for something this big." Sam complained as he shut the trunk.

"Next time we'll just ask the demons to take it easy because we have a new recruit." Dean rolled his eyes as he helped Brianna out of the car. He handed her a standard police issue 9mm "No, it's better now or never." Sam pursed his lips and gave his brother a disapproving look. He readjusted the bag on his shoulder and started to make his way down the crumbled bridge.

The town was what Brianna pictured when she thought of the apocalypse. Cars flipped over in the middle of the road, windows and doors on houses left open and random splotches of blood. They passed a sporting goods store advertising ammo, rods and reels and a thirty percent sale for Pioneer Day- the local festival. There was no sign of anybody but the three of them.

Dean approached the closest overturned car and ducked down to inspect it, his gun at the ready. Sam followed his lead, approaching the other side of the vehicle. Sam shook his head and they boys moved on to the next car. They continued like that for a block before they spotted a tan car, older model Buick, with the driver's door open and the radio running. Brianna recognized the song as Spirit in the Sky. Dean reached inside and switched the keys to the Off position and shook his head.

Brianna turned around and her eyes fell on a bright red mustang convertible with the top down. She eyed it wearily. Everything around them was damaged and left abandoned in a hurry. This vehicle was still shining brightly in the afternoon sun, as if the owner just had it waxed. She caught Dean looking at it as well, but he seemed impressed with the vehicle, not concerned.

Sam shook his head and turned around. His posture went rigid and Brianna followed his gaze. Something over at the gas station sparked. Bree spotted a silver minivan. The driver's door was open and there was blood everywhere. She also spotted a baby stroller. Her stomach reeled at the thought of what could have happened to the infant that stroller belonged to. The boys approached the van and took notice of a large hole in the windshield.

Brianna started to walk towards them when a gun cocked behind her. She felt the barrel of a gun press roughly against the back of her head. Sam and Dean heard to the gun and spun around, bringing their guns up.

The look on Sam's face confused her. "Ellen?"

"Hello, boys." A woman replied, removing the gun from Brianna's skull.

Brianna moved away from the woman and rushed so she was safely tucked between the boys. The woman was in her early forties, give or take a few years. It was hard to tell because of her looks. For a middle-aged woman, she was downright beautiful. Ellen looked at Brianna curiously then at the boys. Nobody mentioned her presence and for that she was thankful.

"Ellen, what the heck's going on here?" Dean asked.

Ellen took a few steps closer, pulling a silver flask out of her shirt. She splashed the contents onto Dean's face. Dean closed his eyes and licked his lips. He let out a sigh then opened his eyes again. "We're us."

Ellen motioned for the boys to follow her. They walked in silence until they walked inside a cozy white church. Ellen opened the door and ushered them inside. Brianna took notice of the circles and designs written on the floor with spray paint. She recalled Sam telling her about demon traps and how once you had one inside the design, they couldn't leave. It was nice to know they were safe inside the building.

Once everybody was safely through the trap, Ellen turned around. "Real glad to see you boys." She hugged Dean tightly before pulling back and slapping him. "The can of whoopass I ought to open on you." She scolded. Dean grumbled in pain, but Ellen wasn't done speaking her mind. "You can't pick up a phone? What are you allergic to giving me peace of mind? I got to find out that you're alive from Rufus?"

Dean had the courtesy to look ashamed. "Sorry, Ellen."

"Yeah, you better me. You better put me on speed dial, kid."

"Yes. Ma'am."

Ellen looked up at Sam, who flinched back, thinking he was next in line for a scolding. Ellen just shook her head and looked over at Brianna. "So, who's the girl?"

"Funny story really." Dean shifted his weight around nervously.

Brianna just shook her head and stepped forward, offering her hand. "My name is Brianna Moore, hunter in training. Nice to meet you."

Ellen gave her a genuine smile. "It's good to finally meet you." Brianna couldn't keep the shock off her face. "Bobby's told me about you. It's amazing he let you travel with these yahoos." She pointed her thumb at Sam and Dean.

"You mean? You know about me?"

"Bobby is real proud of you kid."

Ellen turned and walked down a flight of stairs. She knocked on a door and a minute later, it was opened by a young man with a lot of aggression in his posture. Brianna glanced around the room, counting heads as she went. Ten people. The most noticeable was the aggressive one, the priest and the pregnant lady. Ellen started going over things with the boys. Demons had them on lockdown. Every time they tried to make a break for it, they were attacked. The measly group started out with twenty-two people.

Dean and Sam were going back out into the streets to resupply with salt and enough guns for everybody. If they were going to get everybody out, they needed enough firepower to go around. Brianna offered to go with them, but she was shot down by the boys and Ellen. Ellen was going to need help explaining gun safety to the small group. Since Bobby taught her everything he knew about guns that made her one of the teachers. She'd do more good here than up on the surface fighting demons.

It didn't take long for the guys to return. Something was off though, Brianna could see it and judging by the concerned look in Ellen's eyes, she saw it too. The boys split up among the group and started helping with gun safety. Ellen stood up and cocked her shotgun.

"I'll be back." She stated, making her way to the door.

Dean asked, "Where are you going?"

"I can't sit here on my ass. My daughter's out there somewhere. I'm not back in a half an hour, go. Get these people out of here." She instructed.

Sam and Dean stood up and walked over to her. Sam stiffened his shoulders, "No, wait. I'll go with you."

"Whoa, hold on. Can I talk to you for a second?" Dean asked, his voice holding a dangerous glint.

He grabbed Sam's arm and dragged him out into the hallway by the stairs. Brianna watched closely, taking note of the tension between the brothers. She'd noticed times like this before on the drive here, but nothing to this extent. She was obviously missing something. Sam shook his head and pushed his way back into the room. He grabbed a shotgun off the table and motioned for Ellen to come with him.

Less than an hour later, there was an urgent pounding on the door. Dean rushed over and looked through the peephole. He moved the chair blocking the door and opened it. Ellen rushed in, alone. Brianna was on her feet in a flash, walking over to Ellen.

Dean asked, "Where's Sam?"

Ellen shook her head and sat down next to a young woman, who passes her a bottle of water. She took a healthy swig of it before putting it on the table. The pregnant lady sitting across from them started to panic. Her eyes were wide and showing too much white. Her hands were shaky and she was nibbling on her lower lip.

"They took him? Demons took him? Oh my god. What if they're in here? The demons?" She babbled, spreading her fear across the room like a disease.

The pastor looked at Ellen and Dean. "Could they get in?"

"No." Dean replied. He grabbed a shotgun off the table and headed for the door. "Everybody just sit tight. I got to-." He grabbed the door handle and looked back at the people in the room. His eyes stopped on Brianna's. She could see the inner struggle within him. He wanted to go look for Sam, but he didn't want to abandon everybody else. He released the door handle and walked back to the table. "Okay, we need to get a plan together. Tell me everything."

Dean sat hovered over a bible, flipping through the pages in the New Testament. He found what he was looking for and read a passage to Austin, a military man. It talked about a star streaking across the sky. The pastor recognized the passage and brought up the end of the world. Dean just nodded.

Brianna slid into the chair beside Dean. "You know what we're dealing with don't you?" Dean looked over at her and nodded. "What is it?"

"We are dealing with War. One of the four horseman." He said loud enough for everybody else to hear it. Brianna didn't like the sound of that at all and bunkered in for a bible lesson. Once everybody was on the same page, there was more pounding on the door and the man named Roger came bursting in, panting.

"I saw them, the demons. They' know we're trying to leave. They said they're gonna pick us off one by one." Roger panted.

"Wait, wait, wait. What?" Dean asked, standing up.

Austin looked between Roger and Dean. "I thought you said there were no demons."

"There's not. Where did you go?" Brianna answered. Her instinct were screaming at her. Something was wrong.

"I thought somebody should go out and see what's going on!" Roger explained urgently.

"Where did you see the demons and what did they say exactly?" Brianna asked again.

The military man ignored her and looked at Roger. "We just sit here, we're going to be dead."

Dean shouted. "No, we're not!"

Roger shook his head. "They're gonna kill us unless we kill them first."

"Hold on. Hold on." Dean urged, trying his hardest to reign in some semblance of order.

Austin shook his head. "No man, we got people to protect. All right, the able-bodied go hunt some demons." He picked up a shotgun and handed to the young man standing beside him.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Slow your roll. This is not a demon thing!" Dean reiterated.

Roger smiled, holding up his right hand. With his left, he twisted a simple gold band on his ring finger then pointed to Ellen, Brianna and Dean. "Look at their eyes! They're demons!"

The pregnant woman gasped in fear and the pastor raised his shotgun. "Go, go!" Dean barked, grabbing Brianna's arm and running for the door. A gun shot hit the wall inches from Brianna and she put an extra spur in her step.

Once outside and safely inside the hardware store, Dean released Brianna's arm. "Everybody okay?" He asked, looking at both women.

"Peachy." Brianna said sarcastically.

Ellen nodded her head. "We need a plan."

"Preferably something that doesn't involve us playing monkey in the middle." Brianna suggested.

"I have a plan." Dean said with a grin.

Brianna was sure this plan was a suicide mission, but she was doing what she was told. Dean and Ellen were off taking care of the two hunters in the house. Dean taking Rufus and Ellen taking her daughter. That left her with sneaking into house during the distraction and finding Sam. She wasn't a master of stealth, but it was hard to get caught when everybody was busy looking out widows with guns, waiting to shoot anything that twitched. They weren't too worried about an attack from the inside.

She crept up the stairs and down a short hallway, careful not to make too much noise. She passed a room with a young man sitting at the foot of the bed looking through a scope. The floor board creaked, but he didn't flinch. The third door she came across was closed. She pulled her 9mm out of her pants and clicked off the safety. She grabbed the door handle and turned it slowly.

She pushed it open with one swift movement, hoping the catch anybody behind the door off guard. She stepped in, gun poised for a shot.

"Brianna?"

She lowered the gun when she spotted Sam sitting tied to a chair in the center of the room. She raised a questioning brow at the demon trap he was sitting in. she turned the safety back on the gun and stuffed it in her pant line.

"They're not demons." He told her and she dropped to her knees to untie the ropes.

"I know. Dean figured it out. We're dealing with War." She finished the leg ropes and stood up.

Sam stood up and flexed his stiff joints, "Where is Dean anyway?"

"Right here." Dean spoke, walking into the room. He was sporting a red spot on his face where he seemed to have taken a butt of a gun to the face. "Everybody's on the same page now, well except the group from the church. They are still gung ho about ripping us to pieces."

"You can't just kill War." Brianna stated.

"No, btu if we can figure out how he's doing all this." Dean said.

Sam's eyes brightened. "The ring."

Dean nodded. "The ring. The ring—That's right. He turned it right before he made everybody hallucinate and go hellbitch."

"We got to move." Brianna said, making her way to the door.

The three of them raced down the stairs and outside. People were still fighting around them, but it was dying down as Ellen and Rufus convinced them everything was alright. They were across the street when Brianna spotted Austin tackle Ellen to the ground, his rifle pointed at her face. Sam and Dean hadn't noticed and were still on their way to War's horse—the red mustang. The gun clicked empty and Brianna let out a breath of relief. Ellen jacked him hard under the jaw, throwing him off long enough to get her bearings.

"Ellen!" Bree shouted when the marine pulled out a boot knife. Ellen turned and managed to duck in time to miss the deadly swipe. He tackled her to the ground again. They wrestled with the knife. Austin trying to slice her throat, Ellen trying to keep him from doing so. Brianna pulled her gun and pressed in roughly against the side of Austin's head.

"Let her go, or I blow your brains out." She didn't have any plans on actually doing it, but he didn't know that. She cocked the gun and pressed harder. Austin eased the knife off Ellen's throat. "Nice and easy, soldier. She isn't a demon and neither am I."

Brianna almost didn't react in time when the blade came swiping at her mid-section. She tripped over the curb and landed on her back in the middle of the street. Austin towered over her, holding her dropped gun. She closed her eyes and started saying her silent goodbye, when she heard the safety click home on the gun.

She opened her eyes and Austin was no longer towering over her. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ellen walked over and offered Brianna a hand up.

"You did good kid. You're father will be proud of you." She complimented.

Brianna couldn't help but smile. "Thanks."

Sam and Dean found them sitting on the curb. They said their goodbyes to the boy's friends and hiked their way back to the Impala. It was time to hit the road. They drove a few miles away from the river and stopped at a small camping grounds and pulled over. Dean grabbed a beer out of the cooler in the back seat and walked over to the picnic table. Sam and Brianna followed.

Dean tried making light of the tension in the air between him and his brother by cracking a Lord of the Rings comment. Sam remained silent for a moment longer, looking pensive.

"Dean—"

"Sam, let's not."

"No, listen to me. This is important. I know you don't trust me." Dean looked away. "Just now, I realize something. I don't trust me either." Dean looked up. "From the minute I saw that blood, only thought in my head…and I tell myself it's for the right reasons, my intentions are good, and it, it feels true, you know? But I think, underneath…I just miss the feeling. I know how messed up that sounds, which means I know how messed up I am. Thing it, the problems not the demon blood, not really. I mean, I, what I did, I can't blame the blood, or Ruby or…anything. The problem is me. How far I'll go. There's something in me that scares the hell out of me, Dean. In the last couple of days I caught another glimpse…"

"What are you saying?" Dean asked.

The pain in Sam's eyes was obvious, even to Brianna, who had no idea what was going on. "I'm in no shape to be hunting. I need to step back 'cause I'm dangerous. Maybe its best we just…go our separate ways."

Dean seemed to consider his brother's words and briefly glanced over at Brianna. "Well, I think you're right."

Sam was shocked. "I was expecting a fight."

"The truth it I spend more time worrying about you than doing the job right. And I just, I can't afford that, you know? Not now."

Brianna flashed back to the scene in the church when Dean was ready to leave a group of innocent people to fend for themselves so he could go looking for Sam. She remembered the struggle in his eyes when he finally made the decision to help the innocents.

"I'm sorry, Dean."

"I know you are, Sam." Sam started to get up when Dean pulled out the keys to the car. "Hey, do you, u, wanna take the Impala?"

"It's okay." Sam shook his head and walked to the car and grabbed his bag out of the backseat. He approached the pickup parked nearby and said something inaudible to the driver. The driver nodded and Sam climbed in the passenger seat.

Dean started to get up, but Brianna reached out and grabbed his arm. "Okay, what the hell was all that about? You just let your brother hitchhike."

Dean shook his head. "It's a long story."

"I have time. It's a long drive back to Sioux Falls."

He finished off his beer and nodded. Brianna released his arm and followed him back to the car, taking the front seat since Sam was no longer in need of the leg space. _A long drive indeed._


End file.
